Excerpt:Before we meet the first Europeans to visit Canada it is important to know something of who they were. The Vikings of Denmark, Norway and Sweden were the scourge of Europe for almost 300 years beginning in about 790 C.E. until 1050. Viking warriors raided and pillaged over vast expanses of ocean, wherever their long ships would carry them. Their war ships, called drekars (dragons) swept out of the morning mist along some peaceful coast to decimate yet another sleepy village. Who could forget the tales of King Aethelred the Unready of England, who paid the Norsemen the Danegeld to make peace in 994 A.D.However, the Vikings were more than raiders. They were explorers constantly in search of new lands to settle in peace and freedom. Unlike the drekars their trading vessels called knorrs, were broad of beam for maximum cargo capacity. The knorr was basically an open boat in which animals, cargo and possessions were tied down amidships to maintain the trim. The bulwarks were high to keep out the water in all but the heaviest seas.

SynopsisIf you enjoyed the CBC series, Canada-A People's History, you will love this 8.5 x 11, fully illustrated book on the history of Canada. A must read for all Canadians!In the past books written on the history of North America have assumed that time began with the arrival of the European explorers. The truth is, that civilizations flourished on this continent long before the Vikings first looked west across the Northern Sea in 990 C.E. The first Homo Sapiens to settle in the 'New World' some 27,000 years ago lived, loved and struggled to survive in the wilderness much as our ancestors did 400 years ago.This book attempts to tell, not so much the history, but, the story of Canada. Although the facts are historically correct, the author does not consider himself to be an historian either by formal education or avocation. The author is a story-teller with a passion for the history of his country, a history by the way, that is as exciting as that of any country on this planet.This is Book One in a series and it tells Canada's Story from The Dawn of Time to the destruction of the Hurons in 1649. It is intended to show the contribution of all the peoples who have settled this land from the First Nations to the French explorers, who risked everything that we might have a country today that we proudly call Canada.